Making millions off the court and field

It takes years of dedication, hard work, sweat and sacrifice to become a professional athlete. Yet a career at the top of any sport is typically short, and the time to make an impact—not to mention the skills needed to ink million-dollar contracts—is even shorter. But for a select group of elite athletes, the big paychecks go on well into retirement. In the years spent perfecting the three-point shot or powerhouse backhand, they've also paid attention to building their brand.

As a result, these athletes have managed to leverage their physical prowess into lucrative endorsement deals and successful business ventures. Here, we look at athletes who have been winners both on and off the field.